Travel – Page 5

Fall Break Fun in the Sun

Posted on October 11, 2023October 10, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, we’ve been back from the fun in the sun for a few days now, and today’s post is all about our trip to 30A with friends.

This is the second year that our district has given us a week long fall break, and we decided back in February to make this trip happen again.

Here’s what went down:

Saturday:

There were five families going, and everyone left at different times. It’s about a ten hour drive to Destin/30A from Lexington, and we didn’t get our rental house until Sunday late afternoon.

Like last year, the plan for most of us was to leave Lexington in the morning and stop in Birmingham for the night. Well, of course, Kentucky football takes precedence, and they were playing Florida at noon. So…Travis and Hayden stayed back for the game with another family’s guys, and Hadley and I left with the girls in that family around 12:30.

I was glad to have the morning to sleep in a bit, pack, and then leave around lunchtime. So, we had a car of girls while Travis, Hayden and three others drove after the game.

We made it to Birmingham around dinnertime along with a couple of other families.

We met for dinner at Taco Mama which was perfect for all of us. There was an outside sitting area, and we enjoyed the weather, tacos, and margs.

We went to the hotel around 8:00, and the guys arrived around 9.

Sunday:

On Sunday, we were all up and eating breakfast by 8, and we left the hotel around 9. We drove the rest of way, about 4 hours, and stopped for lunch at Hurricane Oyster Bar in Grayton Beach like we did last year.

After we ate, we drove about twenty more minutes to our house. Last year, we got lucky and the house was ready around 3. This year, it wasn’t ready until the “guaranteed” check in time of 5:00.

We stayed in the same house in Seagrove Beach as last year which was the perfect fit for our four families. The fifth family that was a part of our crew found the cutest house in our same neighborhood, and they let us hang until our house was ready for check in. We were so excited that it worked out to have them nearby.

The groceries were delivered, and we unpacked before heading to the beach.

We were there about an hour before sunset. I will say that’s a “downfall” of going to the beach for fall break…the sun sets so early!!

I had cute cups made again thanks to @cupsoncochran and they were perfect for sips at sunset.

Like last year, we just grilled out the first evening. It was nice to have that option after a long day. The Chiefs were on tv, so some of us watched the game before hitting the hay.

Monday:

We had a slow start to the morning, and I enjoyed my coffee on the front porch.

Then, we headed to the beach. (Our house was in a neighborhood across the street from the beach.)

We were there a few hours. This trip, the kids kind of went back and forth from the house more than last time…teenage perks, I guess. Our house came with quite a few bikes, so they would bike about a mile to Seaside to walk around, get food or get ice cream…or they’d bike to and from the house to the beach as needed.

That evening, the adults headed to Seaside after the beach and look who we saw:

Haha…they were living their best lives.

The adults enjoyed happy hour and apps at Great Southern. They have a delicious mojito.

We walked around for a bit afterwards…

…before heading to the beach for sunset.

Then, we went back to the house and had tacos for dinner and s’mores by the fire.

Some of of use played the card game Phase 10 while our friend played his guitar. We were spoiled with nightly entertainment.

Tuesday:

Tuesday morning, everyone kind of did their own thing. Travis and Hayden went on a run while some played pickle ball. There was a pickleball/basketball court in our neighborhood.

A few of us walked to Seaside to get a Modica Market mimosa. Try saying that three times fast. You can’t after having one of these! haha

After that, we headed to the beach. I was thankful to snag this pic of my fam before the kids ran off…

I was at the beach for most of the day…which isn’t my norm. I’m a three or four hours at the beach type of girl…on this day, I was there for about six!

I got lots of reading time in which was great. Have you read Mad Honey? It was my book for the week.

That afternoon, the guys went out for oysters and when they got back, the moms went to Wine World in Watercolor.

We had a “girl” dinner…wine and charcuterie.

Then, we met the guys and the kids back at Seaside. Everyone kind of did their own thing for dinner. There are lots of food trucks, so the kids got what they wanted for dinner. Modica Market has wine and beer by the cup, so we all had a glass while the kids walked around and ate.

The post office in Seaside is soooo cute. So, of course we had to take more pics.

Once we were back at the house, some of us placed Phase 10 again before bed.

Wednesday:

The guys were up early for fishing.

I took it easy, and went to the beach around 11.

I love my new cover up…

They caught a few fish, but unfortunately my guys were very seasick the entire time. Very sick. Ooof. So sick that they had to cut the trip short. (Apparently, the waves were super high and the water was far from calm.)

After the beach, we were at the house most of the afternoon, and then it was our night for the adults to go out. We ordered pizza for the kids, and they hung out and watched a movie for the couple hours we were gone.

Before we left, I snapped a pic of the girls in their Seaside sweatshirts. I wasn’t sure if we’d get a beach pic of them like last year, so we went with this option.

We ate dinner at Old Florida Fish House which is where we ate last year.

Then, we drove to Rosemary Beach. I’d never been there. We went to the Pearl for a drink.

We were home by 9:00 because we are such party animals…haha

We hung out on the front porch for a bit before going to bed.

Thursday:

On Thursday, my friend and I went and got a permanent bracelet at a pop up shop called Spark Collection in Watercolor.

The girls tagged a long and then we went to Seaside to shop a bit. I even checked out the cute bookstore!

Then, it was beach time…

The boys graced us with their presence…

…and then they were back at the house…lol

We spent most of the afternoon at the beach. We all kind of took turns using the golf cart to leave the beach for lunch and come back. We wanted to make the most of our last day by hanging at the beach as much as possible (at least that’s what the adults wanted to do…) but also eat out once more for lunch.

My family and Hayden’s friend had a late lunch at Great Southern before going back to the beach until sunset.

The kids joined us back at the beach…and the girls were in their Seaside sweatshirts again. haha

Here they are last year:

…and we wrangled the kids for a sunset pic…

…and a few group pics.

Before taking in one final sunset.

Once we got back to the house, it was time to shower, eat dinner and start packing. For dinner, we just raided the fridge and freezer. There were lots of pizza rolls, chicken tenders, and tater tots to eat. My friend Megan fried and grilled the fish the boys brought home, and it was so good.

My friend Allison was the brave one to go check out the girls’ carriage house situation. We thought it was best not to go up there until we absolutely had to. haha

Thankfully, they did a good job packing up.

After dinner, we hung out in the backyard by the fire before going to bed around 10.

Friday :

We were up around 7, and hit the road around 8:30.

With no one winning the Powerball earlier in the week, we all said we’d buy lotto tickets at random towns on the way home. It’s always the random small town gas station that has the winning numbers, right?

(Plot twist: we all headed to work this week…lol)

What should be about a 10 hour car ride was more like 11 hours. Oooof. We were so happy to see Homer when we finally got home.

Much like last year, one more day would have been nice, but it was great to have the entire weekend at home to just relax, unpack, get groceries, do laundry and more.

This trip was similar to last year in how we meal planned and spent our time, but the kids did have a bit more freedom and I think we found a good compromise on mixing in family time, girl/guy time, kids time, beach time, and more.

I had a few questions about logistics and travelling with a group, so I hope to get that post out tomorrow.

Thanks for following along on our fun in the sun vacay.

{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}

Flashback Friday, Travel

Friday Favorites {#178}

Posted on October 6, 2023October 5, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

I can’t believe our fall break is almost over.

Ahhh….we’ve had the best week with some of the best people in Santa Rosa (30A), Florida.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are a few favorite pics from the week:

I ordered some cute cups again this year:

I still love a beach sunset:

My beach hat was perfect:

The kids had a great time…

We had a mom’s night out and we enjoyed our “girl dinner” on Tuesday night.

These girls love to shop…

We had dinner at one of our favorite places…

The “Seaside” sweatshirt cuteness continued from last year.

The boys were around some too…😆

The kids hung out with us long enough to get a photo last night…

We finally got a mom photo:

We got a great group photo too…

Since it was our last day, we were at the beach almost all day yesterday and stuck around for the sunset which was a great way to end the trip.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Here’s our same group last year:

Last year, it was nice to get dressed up and snap some family pics, but we were too tired to tackle that this year. Haha

We still got some great “casual” photos.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Prime Purchases

Fall Front Porch

5 Things in my

Not Just a Mom:

We are hosting our monthly link up on Monday! This month’s topic is money saving tips. Well, that’s great timing with us coming home from vacation. haha

We’d love for you to like up with us and join us.

While we’re always sad to say goodbye to the beach, we are excited for the cooler fall like temps that await us back home.

I hope you have a great weekend! It’s back to reality for us!

Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#173}

Posted on September 1, 2023September 1, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday…and happy September 1st! The {-ber} months are here, and I’m ready for them.

Also…who is ready for a three day weekend?! {this girl!}

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Last Saturday, Hayden (and Coach Travis!) had the first official cross country meet of the season. It was a pretty hot day, but Hayden ran a great race and placed 1st! The girls and boys team had a strong showing, considering many of the runners are in the sixth grade.

After the race, Travis and I hurried to get the kids home so that we could head to Nashville for a friend’s birthday.

We were a hot sweaty mess after the race, so we quickly showered, packed and got the kids where they needed to be before hitting the road.

It’s about a 3 1/2 hour drive to Nashville/Franklin, and once we got to our hotel, we had to quickly change to head to the party.

The party was at Stable Reserve not far from our hotel.

Two songwriters performed for about an hour. They have a total of nine number one country music songs…including Walker Hayes’ Fancy Like and a new that’s on the radio, Tucson Too Late which just now hit the radio.

It was really neat to hear them perform. Then there was a break in the music in another songwriter was there to sing for another hour long set.

We had a great time catching up with our friends including Lexington friends we don’t see often enough.

After the party, we made a pitstop at a wine bar before hanging out at the hotel lobby / bar just catching up.

We stayed at The Harpeth, and it was so nice.

Once we woke up Sunday morning, we headed home. I wish we had more time there, but we had to get back to the kids and get ready for the week.

Favorite Foods:

At our hotel, there was a little spot for breakfast. Travis and I picked up coffee to go and I saw these “grab the gold” bars. I’ve heard of them, but had never seen them in person. This was my snack for the car ride home, and it was really good. It reminded me of a no bake cookie.

On the drive home from Nashville, I placed my Kroger order and decided to make this Cheeseburger Biscuit recipe from Pinterest for dinner. It is definitely a family favorite now.

Hadley and I went to Trader Joe’s on Monday after school and the Salsa Verde tortilla chips were one of the samples. I had one chip and knew we needed to bring a bag home. Lol.

They are so good.

Favorite Mom Meme:

So tired by Friday…

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Here’s Hayden running in the same spot on the same course in both sixth grade and now in eighth grade. He looks both so similar and so different to me now.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week which included a little bit of everything…memes, books, and musings!

Monday Memes

August Books

Monthly Musings

What are your weekend plans? I’m so happy to not set an alarm for the next three days! The kids have plans with friends tonight, Hayden has a meet tomorrow, and maybe we’ll try to get some pool time in this weekend.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Not Just a Mom, Travel

Not Just a Mom

Posted on August 14, 2023August 14, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? We had a really good one. Well, I was asleep by 9:30 on Friday night, and I predict I will do the same this Friday. Those early alarm clocks and long days caught up with me.

On Saturday evening, we went to Hadley’s friend’s bat mitzvah, and we had so much fun with our friends too.

Sunday was all about getting back into a routine including church, groceries, laundry and more.

Anyway, it’s already the second Monday of the month, so I’m linking up with some of my favorite bloggers for our Not Just a Mom post.

This year, we’ve discussed:

Introductions in January
House rules in February
Day in the life (weekend edition) in March
Cleaning hacks in April
Pet peeves in May
How we became a mom in June
Top 5 favorite family activities in July

This month’s topic is what’s in my handbag…

Well, I’ve shared this crossbody/belt bag a few times this summer, and it’s been my “go to” bag all summer. (I tend to switch out bags per season –I usually carry my “hobo” crossbody bag in the fall and spring and then my bigger Barrington tote in the winter)

Anyway, this crossbody has truly fit my needs this summer.

…and what’s inside? Not much!

The white zip pouch holds my credit cards, some cash, lip glass, chapstick, and Airpods. I also always have a pair of sunglasses, a pen, my phone, and my Invisalign case…and that’s it.

I continue to be impressed with myself (haha) for packing a carry-on suitcase, not once, but twice this summer, so I’m going to share about that today too!

So, I’d packed my medium sized suitcase to go to KC because I didn’t have a smaller one for myself.

When I flew to Florida, I borrowed Trav’s carry-on suitcase, but he needed his, so I borrowed Hadley’s once we got to KC. She’d packed using packing cubes, so she just used those when I had her suitcase in California.

The kids have had these suitcases for a couple of years, and they’ve held up nicely.

Since I’m still a “chronic” over-packer, my mom let me use her “compression” packing cubes. I’d never even heard of those! She said she saw them on the Today Show and has used them for travel.

I really was able to pack a few more things because of them.

Here’s how they looked in the suitcase:

Under the biggest one, I was able to put a pair of heels (that I didn’t end up wearing), my tennis shoes (that I only wore once), and my crossbody purse.

My flip flops and flat sandals were under the other packing cubes on the other side of the suitcase.

The only “downside” to these cubes is that they aren’t mesh/see-through to know what’s in them. That being said, I was able to remember what was in each one because I still grouped clothes together.

From top to bottom:

Biggest –5 dresses and crepe top/shorts set
Medium –2 swim suits, 2 pjs, cap sleeve sweater
Medium/large – 2 swim cover-ups, 2 workout leggings, 2 workout tanks, a pair of black shorts, one t-shirt
Small –underwear, bras, socks

I also packed a long sleeve light-weight sweater and light-weight sweatshirt that I just put on top of the packing cubes.

I wore most everything – I guess I didn’t need the heeled sandals, and I probably could have done without my tennis shoes, but I wanted to commit to working out at least one day (and I did). Also, sometimes we go for hikes, but we didn’t this time. I did get a long walk in two days, but that was mostly on the beach, so I didn’t need the tennis shoes.

There was one dress I didn’t wear, but otherwise, I did a pretty good job wearing what I packed.

I also used my Walmart bag that I got earlier this summer as my other carry-on again. Honestly, this bag was packed full and kind of heavy, but it fit right on top of the suitcase when I pushed it through the airport.

I even got lucky and on the flights back to KC, there was room in the overhead bins for both my suitcase and my bag, so I had a lot more space to stretch my legs.

In my travel bag:

I bought these clear zip travel bags last summer, and they’ve come in handy for all of us when we travel.

White jewelry pouch
Two books, Word search book
White cosmetic bag – makeup, medicine, deodorant, toothbrush, etc.
Brush and curling iron,
Clear zip pouch – chargers (phone, Kindle, watch, and portable charger)
Kindle
Clear zip pouch – skincare products
Sound machine
Then- I usually wore my cardigan, and put my hat on top of the bag

Overall, I know it’s easier to pack in the summer because the clothes are lighter, but I’m so glad I figured this carry-on suitcase out. It was so nice to just get on and off the plane…especially when we landed in KC after midnight!

I can’t wait to read others’ posts about what’s in their handbag…but bear with me as I’m sure this week will be hectic getting back to school with students!

Next month’s topic is about sharing our hobbies. We hope you’ll join us then too whether you are reading our posts or blogging.

Today definitely feels like a Monday; we still have two more work days, and then the students come on Wednesday.

Thanks for reading,

{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}

Travel

California Recap

Posted on August 10, 2023August 10, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

Shew…it’s already Thursday. I swear the summer weeks flew by, but I’ve been so busy this week that it’s flown by as well.

Yesterday, I shared about what the kids did while in KC, and today, I’m sharing a recap of my trip to California with Travis.

Most years Travis heads to Del Mar the end of July/early August for work. He has clients in California that he checks in on and some of them have horses running at Del Mar. The Del Mar racing meet for the summer is the end of July to around Labor Day.

So, the timing with back to school isn’t ideal, but I try to tag along the years that I can.

Wednesday:

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I drove the kids to KC last Sunday and then I flew out of KC on Wednesday (and Travis flew out of Lex) and we met in San Diego.

My dad dropped me off at the (new and improved) KCI airport around 8:15 for my 9:45 flight. Since I had a carry-on suitcase (yay!) and security was a breeze, I was at my gate by 8:30.

I flew from KC to Denver and made a sprint through the Denver airport to make my connecting flight to San Diego.

While it would have been nice to have a few extra minutes in the airport, I was very thankful everything was on time and smooth sailing. I arrived around 12:30.

Travis arrived about an hour and a half before me which gave him time to pick up the rental car and do some work.

Since we were in downtown San Diego, we parked and walked around Little Italy. We ate lunch at the Farmer’s Table. My gnocchi was delish.

Then, we drove about thirty minutes to Del Mar. Travis booked our place on Airbnb. It was a vacation rental called Wave Crest. It was really nice, and the 90’s kid in me kept thinking about the tv show Melrose Place. haha

I will say the only “down side” was that the train tracks were busy, and those trains honk their horns. I never heard it at night…I know they went by, but I didn’t hear the honking then.

Our room wasn’t ready yet, so they gave us a key to the pool, and we hung out for about thirty minutes. This was the view from the pool area:

Our place was a one bedroom that was really spacious. There was enough space and pull out couch that I truly think we would have been comfortable there, space-wise, if we had the kids with us.

Our place overlooked Seagrove Park.

Once we unpacked, we headed to the beach for a bit. The water is definitely colder, but you can’t beat the air temps!

When we went back to the resort, we realized it was “Wine Night,” so we had a glass of wine along with some cheese and crackers while enjoying the view.

Then, Trav ran to store for a few things like water, strawberries, beer, wine and a few snacks.

We got dressed, and walked…

…to a restaurant on the beach called Poseidon. We eat there most every time we go to Del Mar. We ended up seeing one of Trav’s clients, and some Lexington people. I had fish tacos for dinner, and the sunset over the ocean was pretty.

Around 9, we headed back to room and watched some tv before bed. The only thing I don’t like about travelling out west…the time change!

Thursday:

I woke up around 6, but made myself go back to sleep. When I woke up at 7, Travis was gone, but he’d left me a large coffee from Starbucks.

While he was at the track watching the horses workout, I just relaxed, watched tv, and hung out.

We went to breakfast at one of Trav’s favorite spots in Solano Beach…Claire’s on Cedros. I got the avocado toast, and it was so good.

Once we got back, I went to the pool while Travis went to watch some of the races. I started Five Star Weekend.

I went back to the room and ate lunch before heading to the beach for a couple of hours.

I went back to the room to clean up and take a quick nap before dinner.

We were meeting a few of Trav’s clients (who have truly become friends) at Ken’s Sushi. One of the clients did all the ordering for us, and we ate so much delicious sushi. Cali sushi can’t be beat!

We got back to our place around 7:30 just in time to catch the 7:45 sunset.

Look at all those surfers out there at sunset…in this pic, it looks like sharks!

It was a great full day of relaxation.

Friday:

I had another easy going morning while Travis went and watched the horses work out.

Then, I did a work out in room before going to the pool for a bit.

I had the whole pool to myself.

Then, Travis and I walked to Del Mar pizza for lunch.

Then, we both went to the beach for a bit…

…before heading to Del Mar Race Track. The weather was beautiful, and we hung out on the veranda for a bit. Then, we watched some races from a box and even went to the paddock to check on one of the horses before the race. Beer Can Man placed second; he lost by a nose.

I wish we’d gotten a pic together that day since we looked nice…but we were busy, I guess.

Then, we went to dinner at Tony Jacal’s. We’d never been there before, but it was so good!

Back at the room, I packed up a bit and finished my book.

Saturday:

Of course, I adjusted to the time change by the last day…it was nice to sleep in a bit and not be rushed to the airport.

I read for a bit and drank my coffee while enjoying the views one last time.

Trav went for a jog, and I walked on the beach for a bit.

We packed up and checked out by 11.

Since we knew it was going to be a long travel day, we wanted to have a good lunch. Another fave spot is The Brigantine which overlooks the water and race track.

I had one more round of fish tacos.

Since we had a few more minutes to kill, we walked on the beach one more time.

…and then headed to the airport.

Thankfully, everything was on time, and we had a very quick flight to Phoenix.

Since we had a two hour layover in Phoenix, we sat down for dinner before boarding our flight.

The flight was pretty bumpy and the pilot even flew around to try to avoid some bad weather. Our flight was supposed to land at 11:59 pm, but it landed at 12:15am. Honestly, given how travel is these days, that was no big deal.

We caught an Uber to my dad’s house, and finally went to bed at 1:30…before waking up the next day, re-uniting with the kids and driving the 8 1/2 hours back to Lex.

It really was a great trip, and I’m thankful for my KC fam keeping the kids busy.

I have dreams of spending a few weeks in Del Mar in the summer…it may have to wait until I retire, but we’ll see!

Thanks for following along on this trip!

(Also, I haven’t forgotten about the gift card I owe one of you! I will get that figured out and hope to announce in tomorrow’s post!)

Have a great day.

Travel

KC Recap

Posted on August 9, 2023August 9, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday.

Two days of professional development down and two to go! So far, so good.

I was going to link up for Let’s Look, but the topic is worst habits which I already covered in one of my blog challenge posts.

So, today going to recap our visit to Kansas City last week.

As the kids have gotten older, summer has seemed to get busier. We usually get to KC in the summer to see family, but this summer took a bit of orchestrating schedule-wise.

Travis was in Saratoga, NY (for work/fun) and then had to go to California (for work) (with a few nights back in Lexington in between), so the kids and I drove to KC on our own.

In all my trips to KC with the kids, I think this is only the second time it was just the kids and me. Obviously, that meant I had to do all the driving…haha

Look at my co-pilots!

Thankfully, our nine hour drive was uneventful!

We arrived in KC on Sunday evening and made a pit stop at my dad’s. Then, we picked up dinner before going to my mom’s house. We ate and hung out and then Hadley and I stayed at my dad’s house while Hayden slept at my mom’s.

On Monday, we had some downtime before going to my mom’s house. While there, I went on a walk. The temps in KC can be pretty hot this time of the year, but it wasn’t too hot that day.

Later, we went to my Gma’s house for dinner. We looked through some old photos, and Hadley found this one with my brother being silly.

We had lasagna and then played Phase 10. I’d never played it before, and we all liked it.

We also enjoyed some Crumbl cookies we picked up for dessert.

The kids and I went back to my dad’s for bed.

On Tuesday, we all slept in a bit, and then Hayden had to do a track workout. Since we didn’t have Coach Travis with us, Hadley subbed in for the job.

He had to run 100, 200, etc. a few times at a certain pace. Hadley was his timer, but did a warm up jog with him.

I walked the track while they did the workout.

Tuesday afternoon, we ran some errands, went to my mom’s house and then I packed for my California trip.

The kids wanted to go to my Gma’s house again, so we picked up dinner and went to her house. We played Phase 10 again and hung out for a bit. I took the kids to my mom’s house and told them goodbye before heading back to my dad’s to go to bed because…

I had an early flight and he was taking me.

I don’t want this to be too big of a flex…but look who packed a carry on again for a flight!!

(I will share more about this next week, but Hadley did help me pack…and it was still pretty tight. Since my smallest luggage is a medium size suitcase, I packed it for KC and then pared what I wanted to take to California into Hadley’s carry-on suitcase. It’s not that I needed much more for my couple days in KC, but it’s hard packing for a week with hot and then mild/cooler temps! Anyway, we made it work!)

On Wednesday, while I was gone, my mom took Hadley with her to workout while Hayden ran. Then, she took the kids to the neighborhood pool, but I guess they were only there an hour or so before storms rolled in. They also went shopping because one of the local stores had Super Bowl athleticwear on sale.

On Thursday, they met my Gma and aunt for lunch and more shopping…(at this point, I told the kids to quit running up a tab…haha)

Thursday evening, my mom got Hadley a volleyball lesson with former collegiate player. My mom is friends with the player’s mom, so that was a fun way for Hadley (and Hayden) to burn some energy.

On Friday, the kids went to my dad’s house for a bit. Hayden got in his track workout, and then they went to Culver’s for lunch.

That afternoon, my mom took the kids to the Nelson Atkins Art Museum, and they had a good time.

My mom said Hayden was blown away by the Van Gogh paintings.

Afterwards, they played putt putt.

On Saturday, Hayden had his long run and then my mom and Hadley went to my aunt’s house for her stamping class. On Sunday, Hadley was excited to show me all the cards she made.

That afternoon, they went swimming and ate BBQ at my Gma’s house.

Travis and I were to arrive in KC at 11:59 PM, but our flight landed around 12:15.

By the time we got off the plane and took an Uber, it was 1:30 before my head hit the pillow.

We didn’t set an alarm, but we wanted to get up at a decent time on Sunday. I was up around 7:30 and Travis was up around 8. We went to my mom’s to get the kids. They were excited to see Travis because they hadn’t seen him in 10 days.

We packed them up, said goodbye to my mom before heading to my dad’s house to get our stuff. We were on the road around 9:45 and made good time back to Lexington.

I didn’t want to jinx it because I know travel can be wonky right now, but thankfully our air travel was pretty seamless this summer with our trip to Florida and then KC to California. Travis had some slight issues on his flight to Saratoga, but otherwise, it all worked out.

I’d say that we all enjoyed our trips. The kids had a really great time with a good mix of downtime, family time, craft, sports, culture and more! I was thankful for Trav being there to help on the drive home. We were tired and happy to get home to Homer.

Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#169} & Blogiversary

Posted on August 4, 2023August 4, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

How was your week? We’ve definitely made the most of my last official week of summer.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are a few favorites:

The kids got to hang out with their uncle and cousin at a photo shoot for UK volleyball.

They had so much fun, and Hadley was excited to meet Azhani Tealer.

Travis and I have been in California since Wednesday, and it’s been so nice to have some down time before heading back to school.

He’s here for work, and I tagged along. I’ve had some beach time…

…and pool time.

The weather and views have been amazing.

Also…

Today’s a big day…it’s the 4th blogiversary of Show Me and Sweet Tea.

I don’t take for granted this community, and writing these blog posts is still my favorite hobby!

As a thank you, I will send a $40 gift card to one of you to Target, Trader Joe’s, or Amazon.

By end of day Sunday, just share a favorite thing you’ve done this summer in the comment section of this post for a chance to win.

Please bear with me with heading back to school on Monday and getting my life together after being gone all week. It might be a couple of days before I announce the winner.

Truly, thank you for reading my posts, commenting and making this space a fun corner for the internet for me.

Favorite Kid Quote:

On Tuesday, when Hadley looked at her phone, she said, “Ewww! It’s August 1st.” I could definitely relate 😆

Favorite Mom Meme:

This one made me laugh…

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from this week in case you missed one:

July Books

Siesta Key part 2

What’s in my Shower

What are your weekend plans?

I still have a couple more days in paradise and then Sunday is full on back to reality followed by back to school on Monday.

Have a great weekend.

Travel

Siesta Key Part 2

Posted on August 1, 2023July 31, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello…and happy first day of August!

I hope your week is off to a great start. I have one more post recapping our vacation in Siesta Key. I shared part 1 last week, and have two more days to share today.

Wednesday:

I enjoyed my coffee before going for a walk in the morning.

It was hot, but the views were pretty!

We had a quick lunch at the house before going to the beach. Hadley wanted a smoothie bowl, so we stopped for one as well as sweatshirt shopping

We went to Turtle Beach for a few hours that afternoon. I really do love that beach because it’s only steps from the parking lot to the sand…and it’s not very crowded.

A fellow beach-goer saw me taking the girls’ picture and offered to take one of the three of use. She probably thought both girls were my daughters. haha

I had a great time with the girls.

(How cute is my “beach” ball cap? Remember when we took the kids to the outlet malls…Hadley went into Simply Southern and I saw it…I think it was $6! I figured, why not? Also, sometimes I have a hard time wearing my favorite sunglasses with ball caps, so that one fits perfectly for that too.)

I finished a book and started a new one while the girls swam and floated on the boogie boards.

We were there a couple of hours before a storm started brewing. Truly, this view was behind me and I had no clue. It was sunny and blue skies while I watched the girls float on the boogie boards, and Hadley pointed behind me and said, “Mom look!” We stayed until it was obvious we should pack up.

We were at the house for a bit before heading to the Lobster Pot for dinner. This is Hadley’s favorite place to eat. I showed her the pic from 2019, and of course she wanted to recreate it.

After dinner, we went back to the house. The girls were tired, so I went and caught the sunset. When I sent them the pic of the rainbow, they wished they’d joined me…haha

…I sent Hadley a selfie…

I’ll never get over how the sunset at the same spot of the beach can look so different night to night…

and…the lighting can change so much in a matter of minutes…

Then, I picked the girls up, and we headed for ice cream at Orange Octopus.

Like every other night, I read and they hung out and watched tv before bed.

Thursday:

As many times as we’ve been to Siesta Key, we’ve never been on the water. I was able to book us on a morning two hour boat ride…”morning dolphin cruise.” So, we were at the marina early to check in and get on the boat.

The captain was funny and knowledgeable.

In the first thirty minutes we passed quite a few “famous” houses.

Top left: Prince’s former house (in the foreground, you can see the edge of the purple pool)

Top right: Andre Agassi’s former house. There’s a gold lion head until the second level windows.

Middle left: Urban Meyer’s current house.

Middle right: Tommy Bahama’s house (can’t remember if it’s his current house)

Bottom left: The guy who has the patent for the Swatch Watch built that house.

Bottom right: The most expensive house in Siesta Key – $30 million…and guess how many bedrooms it has—2!

…the view of Sarasota was neat.

They stopped at one point and let everyone go to the front of the boat to snap pics if they wanted.

Besides us, there was a group of four and then a family six.

I thought this was so cool…the captain said this dog walker/day care brings the dogs to play on this sandbar. The pups were having the best time.

So, we were on the lookout for dolphins with not much luck…and then, on our way back, almost to the marina, we saw three dolphins right in front of Prince’s house! It was cool to see…but hard to catch in a picture.

After the boat ride, it was lunchtime, so we headed to the village for pizza.

The girls were full and tired, so they hung at the house, while I went to the beach for a couple of hours. I was able to read my book, and enjoy the view.

For dinner, we ate Mexican food at the Hub which is another favorite.

Then, we went to catch one last sunset.

The girls played spike ball again, and…

Hadley found a sand dollar. It was alive, so she just showed it to me, and put it back.

We hung out for as long as we could.

I always hate saying “goodbye” to the beach.

There were clouds rolling in, and the girls were being silly.

The sky colors changed so quickly…

…and even the walk back to the car was so pretty.

On the way home, we stopped for gelato at another favorite place in the village.

Then, we tidied up and packed our suitcases before just relaxing the rest of the night.

Friday :

We were up around 7, so we could leave by 8.

It’s a family “tradition” to take a pic in front of the palm trees at the house before we leave. I took this pic earlier in the week because they both had their new sweatshirts on…haha

Our rental car was a Jeep Grand Cherokee for the week…and I really loved it.

Honestly, I was expecting a four door sedan, but at the car rental rep gave me a few choices and mentioned the jeep, so I went for it.

Side note — Hadley’s “dream” car is a jeep…(a real jeep), so I was excited that they had this Grand Cherokee option, so I didn’t tell the girls which car was ours until we got to the parking spot…but it was parked right next to Hadley’s dream car jeep…lol

Also, my dad drove a white Grand Jeep Cherokee for many years –actually 17 I think!…so this was a fun blast from the past.

We stopped in the village at Meaney’s Mini Donuts and Coffee House before hitting the road.

I can’t believe how seamless the trip was in regards to checking in/security flights being on time, picking up and dropping off the car, etc. Each way, from leaving the house, arriving at the airport one hour before departure, the two hour flight and getting home was five hours total…and no issues.

And…did I mention, for the first time ever, I packed a carry-on suitcase? This milestone needs to be remembered…haha

Thanks for following along on our little girls vacay. We had a great time.

Travel

Siesta Key Part 1

Posted on July 25, 2023July 25, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, we’ve been back a few days, so I’m recapping the first couple of days of the little vacay that Hadley and I went on last week.

We’ve been going to Siesta Key off and on for years. Trav’s aunt has a house there, and she’s so gracious to offer it to family whenever it’s available.

The kids have fond memories, favorite restaurants, and we always enjoy our time there.

While Hayden was a running camp, Travis suggested that Hadley and I go for a few days. At first I hesitated, but since Hayden had been to the beach with his friend, and Hadley wanted to go to the beach, I decided to go for it…especially when I saw easy flights to and from Lexington.

While we usually fly there, sometimes, the flights are really early or late, and these were just right. Hadley was able to bring a friend, so that was an added bonus!

Monday:

Our flight left Lexington at 1:30, so we arrived at the airport at 12:30.

BIG NEWS, y’all…I packed a carry on suitcase for the plane…for the first time ever! To be honest, besides being so convenient, it was thrilling. (I really I need a life. haha…This just felt like such a great achievement!)

The flight is less than two hours, we landed, got a rental car and drove the hour to Siesta Key. We were to the house around 5:30…just in time for me to receive my first ever Instacart order! I’d never done this before, and it was so great to arrive and have groceries!

I just knew we’d be there around dinnertime, and I didn’t want to get to the house and then spend an hour shopping. I’m so glad that I did this.

We unpacked, and the girls wanted to go to the beach quickly before dinner. It had just rained, but it was still so pretty out.

Then, we headed to the Daiquiri Deck which is a fave. We were so hungry, so we split some chicken nachos, and then ordered food for dinner too…as well a a daiquiri…(virgin for the girls, of course)

Then, Hadley suggested we drive to Turtle Beach which we discovered on our last trip there. It’s an easier beach to navigate with only a few steps from the car to the sand….and it’s just so pretty!

We were there about thirty minutes, and it was just so nice.

Look at the sunset photo Hadley took! Stunning.

….and a beach selfie before we left.

Once we got back to the house, the girls swam for a bit and then watched tv until bedtime.

Tuesday:

I ran to the grocery store for a few odds and ends, and then I worked out.

We had a quick lunch at home before heading to the beach.

We went to Siesta Key Beach around 12:30

The girls swam and hung out on the boogie boards for a couple of hours while I read.

Then, we went back to the house and swam a bit before showering before dinner.

We went to SKOB (Siesta Key Oyster Bar). While here, I did miss the boys…they love the oysters here.

After dinner, the girls wanted to shop a bit, and each got a t-shirt. Then, they got some ice cream. Ice cream at Olaf’s is a must. (According to Hadley 😉 )

We went back to the house for a bit before going to the beach for the sunset. They played smash ball, we went for a walk, and then went back to the house after the sun set.

There was a sandbar between the beach and the ocean, and they had fun going to and from the sandbar to play.

It’s always amazing to me how the sky looks different every night for sunset.

The girls watched tv, and I read until bedtime.

And…then it was time for Be Real…I made it in the nightly photo. haha

We had a really great start to our trip!

Friday Favorites, Kids, Travel

Friday Favorites {#167}

Posted on July 21, 2023July 20, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday.

I can’t believe my summer Fridays are slipping away! I’m trying to make the most of what we have left of summer break.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

This post will be pretty short and sweet because Hadley and I have been in one of our favorite places this week: Siesta Key, Florida. She brought a friend along too!

Here are a few of our favorite photos:

Monday night’s sunset was stunning.

We had a great time.

Siesta Key girl!

Living her best life…

A book at the beach is one of my favorite things.

As many times as we’ve been here, we’ve never been out on the water. I booked a two hour morning cruise yesterday, and we spotted dolphins …in front of Prince’s former beach house…peep the purple pool!

I was 4 for 4 catching the sunset which is my favorite thing to do.

And this was the view on the way back to the car last night. Stunning.

We had a great few days at the beach.

and…I think these girls have had lots of fun this week…Of course they’ve added a new sweatshirt to their collection 😆

While Hadley and I have been away, Hayden has been at running camp. Travis called me after he dropped him off and said that I shouldn’t expect much from him when we take him to college. Hayden was ready to roll and had no issues with saying goodbye 😆

I guess that’s what we want as parents, right? …for them to want to be independent and spread their wings.

Hadley has always been my more extroverted child while Hayden tends to be more introverted and a homebody. So while Hadley was always excited for camp, Hayden never really showed any interest until this year.

I’m happy he is going to camp on his own terms because then I don’t have to worry about him at all.

I can’t wait to see him though and hear all about it.

Friday Find:

On Instagram, I just recently found @matteicheldinger who is a middle school teacher. You must check him out if you don’t follow him already.

His student stories are funny, uplifting, inspirational. and he’s such a good story teller!

Flashback Friday:

Since we’ve been in Siesta Key this week, here are a few throwback photos…

A family photo in 2016…

This pic from the same 2016 trip is one of my favorites….

Every time we come to SK, Hadley wants to eat at the Lobster Pot.

Here she is in 2019 and 2023 😆

Weekly Recap:

I was a busy blogger this week. Also, thanks for all the love about Hadley’s hair tutorial…She appreciated the compliments.

What are your weekend plans? Well, it’s back to reality for us. Once we get home, I will have to unpack and get a few things accomplished, both at home and at school.

This has been a fun week with Hadley, but I’ve missed the guys…

I hope you have a great weekend.